Augury: Hate’s Creation

[Archer he/him]

“I think everyone likes art,” the god replied easily. “We just have different definitions of what art is. Hundreds of years ago they thought that arranging rocks into vast gardens was awe-inspiring. Today, people make complicated designs out of cloth and string. Then there’s music, and dancing, and poetry. I’ve even seen displays of swordplay by some of your countrymen that were so deft and dexterous that many called it an art. Anything done very well for its own sake can be considered beautiful.”

Ahead of them, the road between buildings led around a shallow bend, then into a shaded courtyard. Tion could see the well at the center of it coming into view, and the couple of nomads clustered around it. As they started riding into the breeze, he also began to smell the scent fresh-baked bread on the air. It distracted him from thinking about Sagitta’s comment about her art’s soulessness. That was nagging at him for reasons he did not care to confront.  

“But what fascinates me more are the artists. To the unenlightened, art has always seemed like such a waste of the precious time they have in their lives, since its not ‘productive’.” He put the last word in air quotes, his horse swerving slightly beneath him as he did so. “Naturally, there are logical counterarguments to that rationale. If everything unproductive is a waste, why bother with friendships? Or families? And ultimately, what is the value of your material advantages after one, two hundred years? The dead own nothing but their secrets.”

“Artists rarely engage in such debates though. Rather, they engage in a form of mental transformation. They take base materials or concepts and they instill upon them a value that instinctively, even the most pragmatic among us can not help but recognize. Something about the way they flavour their text or paint their pages makes giving up a few irretrievable seconds of our time to see more seem worthwhile. Artists gently prod at their audience’s auras, challenging them to think difficult thoughts, making them feel unexpected emotions, consensually shifting our perspectives – and they do it all without the use of magic. Not the conventional kind anyway.” Not the type they would get from me. “It’s a masterclass in manipulation that even I learn from sometimes.”

Tion realized he was being careless with thoughts, so he decided to shift the conversation back to his guide. “It’s hard to say what’s supernatural magic and what’s just skill and experience. Or if there is even a distinction.” He pulled Jessic to a halt as they strode into the courtyard. Before he moved to dismount, his eyes lazily scanned the space from his vantage point to look for patterns in the people’s behaviour he could mimic. Most of them seemed to be women, dressed in shawls. A few were toting hefty clay urns, others had buckets. Tion reached into his coat and procured a small waterskin. As he surreptitiously dumped it out, he locked eyes with Sagitta.  

“You don’t seem like the type to rely on your Instinct, which can be wise. But I wonder, how well do you really know the power that lies within you? Is it still a foreign force, or have you conquered it, soldier?”

[+Sorana she/her]

Sagitta didn't reply when he mentioned her instinct, instead she dismounted and reached for a bucket. Filling it with water she placed it on the ground between their mounts and tossed a few blades of grass on the water before straitening again. Her mare dipped her snout into the water, having to pause now and then to blow the the grass away from her muzzle. Just as she was supposed to do. Horses are stupid, the boy at the stable had told her. Make sure she doesn't drink too much in too short a time.

Only when her horse was occupied did she look up and turn to Tion, his question burning in her mind. "I haven't conquered it." She replied truthfully, remembered how Price made her jump down a ladder. "I can use it, when I need to use it, but I never trained it, like I trained to wield a sword." It was the truth and yet it tasted stale in her mouth. Her instinct was a weapon, an important one, and she hadn't quite bothered to learn how to use it, had focused on the more flashy sword-swinging, instead of the gift she had been born with. There had been so many things to learn when she had arrived at camp, when she had closed her hand around a sword for the first time, excuses and she knew it. Without her instinct she would be dead already and it scared her. Scared her, because she didn't know how to train, how to learn to master it, without standing in the middle of a battleline, without smelling the stink of blood and sweat, adrenaline cursing through her body like molton iron. She could use it when she needed it, instinctively knew how to soften a blow and the weight of her armor, but it was exactly that. Instinct.

She reached for her own waterskin and depleted it into her mouth before refilling, to cover her nervousness regarding his reaction. Tell a god you neglected their gift, it seemed stupid, but to lie to him? To make up a nice, polished tale, it seemed to be even worse. He would know when she lied, he would know when she tried to trick him. That he asked alone - curtsey and nothing more. He knew who she was and what she had done. He was a god. Of course he knew. He had to know. He simply had to.

@Archer

Edited April 5, 2020 by Sorana

[Archer he/him]

Tion dismounted but left his horse where it was after tying it to a hitching post. As he walked towards Sagitta, his expression seemed to lean towards disappointment. His shoulders pushed back as he dramatically inhaled deeply, as if holding himself back from lashing out. However, when he spoke, his voice was cheerful.

“Seems like you need some practice then.” Suddenly, he was shouting in her face. “What do you mean you lost the map, woman?!”

He leaned in towards her, fire in his eyes. The god’s breath smelled like mint. Oddly, the anger had evaporated as he whispered in her ear. “You are my daughter. Use your real first name, but don’t offer your last. I know you’ve scoped out this crowd already, you know who’s stealing glances at us. Get one to approach. They’ll probably use their Instinct on you, so it’s okay to use yours back. Find out about the disturbance we felt. Go.”

Tion’s hand moved upward as if to slap her, but he held back. “Always an excuse with you! Bah.” Radiating disgust, he turned his back on the soldier and made a beeline for the well, muttering about his empty flask as he stomped away. The assembled nomads stepped out of his way and avoided making eye contact.  

[+Sorana she/her]

Sagitta shifted her weight into a combat stance when he suddenly shouted at her, leaned forward. She was about to slam her fist into his face, when he leaned forward, and explained what he was aiming at. She suppressed the urge to shatter his nose, but couldn't stop herself from moving a hand up between his and her body when he moved as if to slap her.

He stomped away, leaving her with her horse and her half filled flask of water. Unsure what to do now she lowered her head. Use her instinct on someone? Her instinct wasn't there to be used on people, apart from a fight that was. She had no idea what he had in mind, what she was supposed to do and it stressed her. Her instinct was for interaction, for movement. Not for polite conversations and definitely not about finding out information.

"Quite the argument you had." A woman looked down at her, smiling friendly. "If you tell me, where you're headed, maybe I could help you out." Gratefully Sagitta straightened and closed her flask. The woman seemed to be nice, trustworthy and she was glad that she didn't have to talk to a stranger. "We are searching for the origin of the tremor." She explained smiling as well.

"Do you know where it is?" Nodding the woman pointed southwest. "Just follow that road for another three days, then you will have found the center." She bent forward and closed her hand around Sagitta's pouch. "You look like an honest person, you will pay for this information, won't you?"

Hastily Sagitta removed her pouch from her belt and handed it to the woman. "Of course." She always paid her debts and the woman had told her exactly what she needed. It wouldn't be right to keep away her payment. Reaching out for her mare's reins she followed Tion, happy that nobody had asked for her name, or their relationship. She disliked lying, but this, the woman was happy, she had done what the god wanted - Pausing she felt for the empty spot at her belt, only now realizing, that she had no money left to buy some food and the woman had only told her a direction. It was nothing you had to pay for. Whirling around she looked for her, only to see nothing but strangers around a spring. The woman was gone.

[Archer he/him]

Tion had found a seat on a log bench in the shade of a nearby building. He was sharing a loaf of bread with an older man, with a grey beard and bushy eyebrows, who was laughing heartily. The god nodded at Sagitta as she approached. “Bread shop’s over there! Buy yourself something for lunch, I’ll just be a minute.” He then jumped back into the story he was telling. The other man looked Sagitta up and down lewdly but was soon distracted by Tion’s continued recollections.

Five minutes later, Tion brought the discussion to a close with one last joke and a handshake, reclaimed his horse, then went looking for Sagitta. “Hope you did better than I did,” he said as he swung his body up onto his mount’s back. The deity noticeably winced as his legs fell into place, already feeling saddle-sore.

“Best I can tell, this town is on edge. Their leaders are scared, and that makes them scared, even if they don’t know what they’re supposed to be afraid of. We’ll have to watch ourselves tonight. When people start acting more guarded, it makes the vagabonds more desperate, and right now, we’re their easiest target.” He tapped the rapier on his belt. His next words were chosen carefully, laced with subtext. “I can disarm a man, but I’m above killing them. Sadly, I don’t think that that will be enough of a deterrent, if it comes to it.”

He waved for the other two gods to follow along behind them when they were ready. "They can stop time, they'll catch up. So where are we going?"

[I think I am here. he/him]

On 08/02/2020 at 3:39 AM, AonEne said:

“It is happening now, for you," First said quietly. "Do you recall the last thing that happened to you on that journey, and where you are now?" 

“... I was camping, I think,” Price said. He looked at the being, tried to gauge what it was, remembering the name. First. The nomad land travels, happening now? Yes, Price remembered a horse, remembered Sagitta, training with her. And then - nothing, but the icy expanse of the dream. This dream.

“You’re one of the gods, I wager,” Price said and stared down the being, trying to regain some semblance of control of the situation. But a deep, primal fear laid at the bottom of his gut, a sinking feeling he was dealing with something far beyond his scope, far beyond what he thought was his scope.

Quote

Sorry for the late response 

 

Edited April 8, 2020 by I think I am here.

[AonEne he/him]

12 minutes ago, I think I am here. said:

“You’re one of the gods, I wager,” Price said and stared down the being, trying to regain some semblance of control of the situation. 

Quote

Don’t worry about it  

“Ah, no.” First smiled in the same way Last had, one expression simply becoming the next with no movement. “That, I am not. I am not human, as they are. I am also unlike them in that I know what my purpose is; I am here to usher in beginnings, to be the start. Something is happening to the world, Price, and I need to make sure it goes a certain way - or else the results will not be good. For that I need assistance; information which I cannot get on my own, and perhaps nudges in the right direction. And...” It stopped speaking, a look of consideration flashing over its face before it returned to a smile. “Well, for now, just those things. You might think of it like an experiment using the world. Would you be willing to help me with that?” 

[I think I am here. he/him]

19 minutes ago, AonEne said:

“Ah, no.” First smiled in the same way Last had, one expression simply becoming the next with no movement. “That, I am not. I am not human, as they are. I am also unlike them in that I know what my purpose is; I am here to usher in beginnings, to be the start. Something is happening to the world, Price, and I need to make sure it goes a certain way - or else the results will not be good. For that I need assistance; information which I cannot get on my own, and perhaps nudges in the right direction. And...” It stopped speaking, a look of consideration flashing over its face before it returned to a smile. “Well, for now, just those things. You might think of it like an experiment using the world. Would you be willing to help me with that?” 

Smiling. It smiled and Price tried too, but he couldn’t. He was too busy processing information. He nodded as it spoke to him, noting everything down in his ledger. But his note - they wouldn’t be here when he woke up, would they? So he went against his instinct and just listened. Information, it needed. Nudges.

Human? It implied the gods were... people. Just like Price had thought. Incredibly powerful people, but humans, nonetheless. Which made First... something else. Something beyond. And it needed Price, needed him specifically to help. An experiment using the world. He liked that analogy, but didn’t like what it implied at the same time.

“This... message,” he said, tried to make sense of it all. “Do you come in everyone’s dreams, eventually? Why me? Why not my superior, or the gods?”

[AonEne he/him]

24 minutes ago, I think I am here. said:

“Do you come in everyone’s dreams, eventually? Why me? Why not my superior, or the gods?” 

“Not everyone’s. You were in the right position, and could be contacted. And I think you have the right skillset for what needs to be done.” It looked at him seriously. “You know how to do things precisely, and things are going to be very delicate. Hopearaa is in danger.” 

[+Sorana she/her]

On 6.4.2020 at 7:32 PM, Archer said:

He waved for the other two gods to follow along behind them when they were ready. "They can stop time, they'll catch up. So where are we going?"

Quote

sorry, somehow missed your post.

Sagitta gave a slight nod and touched her sword with her hand. "If they come in numbers, they can always overwhelm me, everybody can be defeated." Her eyes moved over the nomads doing their chores. "But it will take a lot of them to defeat me." She stated with quiet selfconfidence. She had spent so much time fighting this people, she knew how they acted, which weapons they wielded and vagabonds rarely were skilled soldiers.

"We need to travel that way." She gestured in the general direction the woman had mentioned. Considering to keep quiet about her pouch she climbed on her mare, annoyed by the urge to tell him of her failure. It wasn't his business, not even in the slightest way. And yet, it had been his task after all. "I lost my money, gathering that information." She stated quickly without looking at him. It was embarressing enough without the disappointment on his face. "Maybe some vagabonds wouldn't be the worst thing to happen. At least they are bound, to have a little money, and maybe some food as well."

Anger at herself made her close her hands tightly around the reins and she grit her teeth. It had only been a little bit of money, but the consequences, what it would lead to. She grit her teeth again and shook her head. It was no use. She could always work for something to eat, just as she had during the last weeks. A mercenary. Her face darkened. She was a soldier, not a mercenary, she was fighting for a greater cause, not for money. But right here and now, there was nothing she could do to change it.

Edited April 9, 2020 by Sorana

[I think I am here. he/him]

22 hours ago, AonEne said:

“Not everyone’s. You were in the right position, and could be contacted. And I think you have the right skillset for what needs to be done.” It looked at him seriously. “You know how to do things precisely, and things are going to be very delicate. Hopearaa is in danger.” 

Price didn’t respond for a while. He mulled it over. He had to admit — this was an incredibly strange. But then again, everything had been strange since he’d ventured into the forest with Sagitta, since meeting that Cahayan, meeting literal gods, and all the chaos that had ensued since then. He shouldn’t have been surprised. Still, he considered it. Precision. It was right. With a test, you had to be precise, exact.

“And if I decline?” He asked, more out of formal curiosity than actual consideration. But still, it was good to know both options.

[Archer he/him]

Tiska. Mid-afternoon. 

Tion took Sagitta’s news in stride. If she was more dependent on him now that she had lost her money, she was less likely to desert. And the self-loathing radiating from her was delightfully palpable; anger was an emotion he knew how to manipulate well.

He assessed her coldly as he steered his horse in the direction indicated. “That nomad wounded your pride, soldier. You know how to soften the blow.”

He relaxed the reins, trusting Jessic to follow the road. She was a good horse, if prone to moments of weakness. Ah shoot, I forgot to water it. “Sorry, girl,” he murmured, rubbing its neck.

For the next few minutes, he zoned out slightly, delving into his memories. He needed to revisit the important ones, to keep them fresh. Disturbingly, some were starting to decay. Just fragments, for now, but it seemed to be accelerating.

The god found himself thinking about another immortal, Intensity. Last he had heard from them, they had established a sanctuary somewhere, a place of permanent peace and mild weather, where nothing seemed to matter all that much. Did I ever visit there? I would remember doing that. Surely I would.

A chill ran down his spine as he was reminded of the power of the company he was keeping now. He snapped out of his trance and looked to Sagitta to see how she was faring.

[AonEne he/him]

6 hours ago, I think I am here. said:

“And if I decline?” He asked, more out of formal curiosity than actual consideration. 

“Then you decline, and I will be disappointed, but I can probably find someone else.” First studied Price, looking him up and down, in and out. “Though I would prefer not to have to.” 

[+Sorana she/her]

12 hours ago, Archer said:

A chill ran down his spine as he was reminded of the power of the company he was keeping now. He snapped out of his trance and looked to Sagitta to see how she was faring.

You know how to soften the blow. Sagitta let him pass herself on the road, happy to have her mare follow his. It was easier that way as the horse usually followed others on the road easily. Lowering her head she mulled over his words, her anger drifting away on the wind, when she focused on something else. It was a strange feeling, to know that she was travelling with a god who assumed she knew what to do, when she was honestly completely clueless.

Looking up she let her gaze move over the countryside, the yellow and brown colours, the plants with their hard leaves and thorns. The air was dry, so dry she sometimes had to pull a scarf over her mouth and nose to avoid breathing in nothing but dust. When she looked back to tion, she found him looking at her as well.

"If my question disturbs you, feel free to ignore it, but, why are you here?" She asked hesitantly, politely lowered her glance. Hopefully he wouldn't be offended.

[I think I am here. he/him]

17 hours ago, AonEne said:

“Then you decline, and I will be disappointed, but I can probably find someone else.” First studied Price, looking him up and down, in and out. “Though I would prefer not to have to.” 

“Then I accept,” Price said, the decision made. As if it made any difference, he wrote the deal down, a little contract in his mind. Contracts were good. Contracts were solid, sturdy. They were law, and no one in Tühine went against law. He wrote down his acceptance, signed it, looked up.

“What do you need me to do? Instructions would help.”

He hesitated.

“And what bad things would happen, if you don’t mind me asking... Sir? Madam?”

[Archer he/him]

“Why are you here?” Sagitta’s words caught Tion off guard. He cocked his head as he thought about the answer. I should get a hat. Hats are powerful.

“I am here,” he began slowly, “because I have yet to figure out how to escape. Someone very clever is working against me to ensure I never leave this realm. I suspect myself.”

“I have goals I want to achieve, but they are arbitrary. Nothing I do here seems to make a difference. Kingdoms come and go, people fight amongst themselves. The world carries on. If I have a purpose, it may be to act as a failsafe maintain the power of the natural world or channel the magic of the ether, but the only way to confirm that theory is to kill myself and see what happens, which I’m not allowed to do.” He shrugged. “For all we know, my entire existence has been in preparation for this moment, where I speak to you, Sagitta, and inspire you to do something earthshattering. Maybe I’m locked in an endless cycle, repeating my lifetimes again and again, until I stumble upon the ‘right’ way forward. He could do that to me, and I would never know. Not until the end.”

“You should be taking notes, you’re getting more first-hand godly experience than most prophets out there have. This is easily enough to base an off-shoot religion on. Maybe even a cult. I like those, their meetings are easier to sneak into.” He gazed nostalgically ahead for a moment, then snapped back to his travelling partner. “Not much outlasts the passage of time. Remember that, child. Not your will, not your morals, not even your identity. I am Sensation. I am the last good creature in a world of monsters. That is all I know for sure.”

“You are a part of this… transformation. You are significant for some reason, but I don’t yet understand why. That indicates I am missing some important information.” He eyed her skeptically. “I wonder what secrets are locked away inside of you.”

[AonEne he/him]

14 hours ago, I think I am here. said:

“And what bad things would happen, if you don’t mind me asking... Sir? Madam?”

First didn’t disappear or reappear behind Price, but it was suddenly behind him all the same, looking over his shoulder at the contract. The chair it had been sitting on was gone. “Neither. I have no gender and no need for formalities,” it said absently, reading. “This is good, but it would also be good if you repeated this: 

I, Pryclin Evada of Hopearaa of the Twin Concepts of the Creator, give my word to the Concept First that I will assist it in the gathering of information relating to the deterioration of Hopearaa, and if required participate in actions to control the spread of this condition. I pledge my Power and my intentions to this cause. 

You don’t strictly need to, but it would help me a great deal, and I could say something to the same effect. I’ll tell you specifics of what I need afterward, if you do say it.” First took a step back, looking at him with eyes that still did not close. “As for the bad things, they are already happening, and will only continue to get worse without intervention. The wars. The insanity of the gods. And...a few other things.” 

[+Sorana she/her]

Surprised Sagitta stared at Tion, remembered only after a while to close her mouth. He was a god, and yet, the words he spoke, made him appear more human than everything he had done before. Sensation. He was sensation. A part of her appeared to nod at the information, as if it was something she had known for years, but she knew that she hadn't. He was the sensation. A man, where she had been told tales of a woman, but he was god, gender most likely didn't mean the same to him, it did to her.

"I don't want to start a religion." she replied slightly distracted and looked towards their destination again. Not far, maybe behind the enxt turn of the path, or the one after. The woman had described it as close. "And I certainly won't start noting your words down." She could read and write, but that didn't mean, that she liked  to spend hours creating notes of some sorts. "I will remember what I need to remember." She said instead, meaning them literally. The important things, those that changed her and her path, they would be written in her heart, they would be engraved in her memory.

"Although I am sure, that I'm not some hero, or even the reason you exist. I agree, that there has to be a reason we met, a reason we decided to travel here, but I doubt that I am the reason. I might be the sword you'll need at one point or the other, or I might be a shield." She fell silent, when the last part of her words registered, but meaning them nonetheless. Dying for a god would be a good way to die. Serving a god on his journey, she had done worse things in her life, worse and way more stupid ones.

"I've got a question," she started slowly, trying to find the rights words to convey what she meant wihtout being impolite. "You certainly don't need to answer, but I would regret it, if I didn't take the chance."

"Are you really the founder of Ta'e'ilo?"

@Archer

[Archer he/him]

“Are you really the founder of Ta'e'ilo?"

Despite himself, Tion smiled at the question. It was naïve in its simplicity, asking him to attribute hundreds of years of nation-building and settlement to a single moment in time, and his direct influence. He was tempted to hedge his answer, but he sensed that as much as Sagitta was punching through his aloof layers of ambiguity at an alarming rate, he was getting through to her too. In his experience, soldiers like herself were happiest when the world was laid out for them in simple terms, but she was also a youth. Barely in her twenties. Her mind was still curious. And malleable.

“Your country was founded by ordinary men. The original Triumvirate consisted of Yabo’i, Keeper of Lands, Mo’a’gol, Guildmaster of Merchants, and Arachi the Judge. I believe Mo’a’gol was in the employ of Entropy at the time. Or maybe they were dating? It’s complicated.” He cringed at the thought. “Anyway, all ordinary men, but good at their jobs. All they were lacking was ambition. They needed to see the bigger picture, the kind us gods are privy to. That is were I entered the story. Yes, I provided them with inspiration. I am very good at pushing men in the right direction, offering the kind of insight that comes with great experience. But it was through their hard work that the nation survived and thrived. They were the soldiers on the front lines while us gods acted their generals.”

The woman had been fed Ta’e’iloan propaganda all her life. That was useful. Tion tried to channel a bit of patriotic cheer into his words. “Those men, the original stars of Ta’e’ilo, have long since burned out. But their spirits live on in the souls of the nation’s people. So long as you continue to believe in the strength of a community greater than yourself, and keep striving to be the best that you can be, you are a star a Ta’e’ilo. You are special. Your ancestors were chosen for greatness. But you, Sagitta, have been given an even greater opportunity. I ride beside you today as an immortal, a witness of history. If you stand by me, and do your country proud, I will remember you. You have the chance to earn your place among the brightest stars. It will be an honour to recall your story one day.”  

Tion straightened his back and lifted his chin as he sat in his saddle. None of what he had said was a lie, but it wasn’t the whole truth either. Hopefully it was just enough to gain her respect, if not her loyalty.  

[+Sorana she/her]

4 hours ago, Archer said:

Tion straightened his back and lifted his chin as he sat in his saddle. None of what he had said was a lie, but it wasn’t the whole truth either. Hopefully it was just enough to gain her respect, if not her loyalty.  

"My ancestors-" Sagitta started, completely overwhelmed by the fact, that not only had he been there, that not only were the stories true, but that he also implied that she was related to them. She touched her fist to her chest in a wordless salut, even more honored than before by the simple fact that Sensation was here, that he had singled her out. Be proud and fight for your country, stand up for Ta'e'ilo. She found herself smiling, this was what she had been doing ever since she joined the army. When you watched the enemy approach on their sturdy horses, you had to know why you were fighting, to continue to stand there, ready your weapon and face death. And maybe a touch of craziness helped as well.

Unconciously she straightened even more and lowered her hand. "Thank you." Inclining her head deeply, respectfully, she then turned her eyes back on the path in front of him, going over his words again. Three had been chosen, and one of them might have been dating Entropy. And Tion had pushed them in the right direction, had inspired them to something greater, just as he wanted to do with her.

Her hands tightened a bit around the reigns, uncomfortably when she pictured herself a hero. A hero, because a god signled her out, followed her on her path and watched her carefully. It felt different than the thought to die gloriously in battle, protecting her country even with her last breath. Being a hero of her own actions, because of her own determination. Although in the end, without a god's blessing she would have died on the battlefield years ago. Wondering how long he was already watching her, she loosened her grip on the reigns. If he had decided that this was her way, then this was her way. She certainly wouldn't start discussing something like that with a god. And additionally, she would like to be a hero, an inspriration to others, to younger people. Fighting for her country, or if she took Last's words into account, maybe for her world. Last. Silently cursing herself for agreeing to his offer she was glad, that she had excluded all actions that harmed Ta'e'ilo. And with Tion - since he had helped in its creation, she could count him into that exception as well. There was no way she would betray him, it just wasn't possible anymore.

She was tempted to ask why he had chosen her, be kept quiet, the question not important compared to everything else. "Thank you." She repeated instead, "knowing what happened means a great deal to me."

=========

@AonEne

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Is there anything we should/ can discover at the site? Or are there things we shouldn't discover? You have a larger plot in mind, so I figured I ask, before I start making things up.

 

[AonEne he/him]

15 hours ago, Sorana said:

Is there anything we should/ can discover at the site? Or are there things we shouldn't discover? You have a larger plot in mind, so I figured I ask, before I start making things up. 

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As they get closer, Sensation will start feeling off-balance and eventually dizzy (he’d be able to reduce it with one of his concoctions if he has any, but not entirely get rid of it). If Infinity comes with, she’ll be unable to recollect the last ten minutes or so. Both of these effects will go away once they get far enough away from the center again. Sagitta and/or Price won’t feel anything out of the ordinary. 

At the center of the earthquake is a giant hole which there doesn’t seem to be a bottom to if you throw anything down it. I recommend not throwing yourselves or each other down it either.  Its edges are uneven and it looks like a fairly normal hole, if unexpected for an earthquake (not being a linear chasm stretching far to either side). 

 

[Archer he/him]

As they rode, Tion leaned back to rummage about in his closest saddlebag. He came up with a cloth-wrapped bundle of hardtack. Holding it like a sandwich, he took a bite and gulped some down. “I put some in your bag too,” he said to Sagitta, breadcrumbs spraying from his mouth.

He unceremoniously spit out a glob over his shoulder. “I was hoping I was hungry. But this is starting to feel a little different.” The god kept blinking, as if a bright light was shining in his eyes. He squeezed his knees into his horse’s side more tightly. “It’s not poison either. We’re going to need to stop-”

He trailed off as they rounded a small ridge of rock that the path turned behind. Ahead of them lay an open valley, littered with jagged boulders that rose from the ground at odd angles and small crevices where the ground had split. At the center of it all, a half-kilometer away lay a yawning crater mouth, ringed by fresh-disturbed earth and rock. To Tion’s eyes, the air above it seemed shimmer. For a second, he thought he saw a cloaked figure standing by the lip, looking into it, but when he blinked, it disappeared.

The path led away from the epicenter, so Tion pulled his reins to steer them off the road. The steady clop of Jessic’s hooves gradually turned into a click-click as the ground beneath them became littered with gravel. He slowed down to make sure they did not turn an ankle on the uneven surface. Otherwise, it was oddly quiet. As his nausea worsened the closer they got to the hole, the hairs of Tion’s neck stood up. He couldn’t shake the feeling that someone was breathing on him.

“There should be birds. Insects. Something. It’s too quiet.” He nearly puked as he spoke. “And there’s too many places to hide.”

They arrived at their destination a few minutes later. It was all Tion could do to gesture at it, urging Sagitta to check it out as he slumped off his mount and leaned heavily on a nearby boulder. “I’m fine,” he rasped. A stone’s throw away from them, the great black crater beckoned. It smelled faintly of sulphur.

[+Sorana she/her]

Sagitta watched the god with growing discomfort, but when he assured her, that he was fine, she didn't question him. It wasn't her place to question a god, to doubt his words. Instead she climbed down from her mare and unceremoniously tied the reigns to Tion's horse's saddle. He was right, the place was perfect for an ambush, rubble casting weird shadows on the ground, and there were so many boulders lying around that even an untrained child would have an easy time hiding.

She loosened the scabbard of her sword from her saddle, holding it with her left hand. There was no time to put on some armour, but hopefully she wouldn't need it. Carefully she shifted her feet on the uneven surface, noticed the way the little stones slid away from her feet. If she had to fight here, luck and balance would play as huge a role as their individual weapon skill.

She loosened the sword, made sure she would be able to draw it quickly and then slowly neared the great black crater, that seemed to be the center of the destruction. It was deep, it's edge uneven and when she looked into it, there was nothing but darkness waiting for a her. A chill wind touched her face and she flinched back, couldn't help the picture of something crawling out of the hole, or waiting for her to be careless to drag her down.

Bringing some distance between herself and the hole again, she checked the area around it, looking for signs of animals, or maybe humans who had been here after the earthquake. It was eerilie silent, and when there weren't any obvious signs, she gave up. It had been a try, but looking back at the part of the ground her own shoes had left vague imprints on the surface, she knew that she stood no chance. She could find a trail in a muddy wood, but not here, not on this stony surface.

Picking up a stone she threw it in an arch into the hole, waited for the quiet, clattering noise that indicated that it had reached the bottom. Nothing. Frowning she picked up another one, walked closer, but still keeping an armlength distance. Again she waited for a sound, for anything, but instead only silence escaped the hole. An ueasy feeling crawled along her spine, but she grit her teeth against it. It was a hole in the ground. She wasn't afraid of a hole in the ground. Placing her sword on the ground, she used both hands to lift a larger stone, and dropped that one. She could hear it, bumping off a wall and then it vanished into the darkness as well. Going down on one knee she closed her hand around the scabbard again, concentrated on whatever sound might reach her ears. Nothing. But now that she was close again, she could feel the wind on her skin, cool and gently.

Straightening she took a couple of steps back, keeping her eyes on the hole, forcing herself to keep her breathing calm and steady. It was a hole. Nothing but a hole.

"It appears to be an endless hole. I couldn't find anything hinting if something crawled out of it." She reported curtly to Tion, never quite turning her back to the darkness. It looked like a maw, waiting for prey, luring it close and then swallowing it whole.

@Archer

 

[Archer he/him]

Tion grunted. “But you feel that, right? There’s a… presence.” He was chewing on a tar-like substance from one of his pockets that was staining his teeth black. The god still looked haggard, but it was clearing his head for now.

He squeezed his eyes shut, willing his aura Sight to activate. He became hyper-aware of the wind blowing on his face, and the nervous rustle of the horses, and the sound of Sagitta’s breathing, and the pain in his legs. But when he looked out in front of him again, nothing had changed. All he felt was a slight electric tingle, right at top of his spine.

“There’s Old Magic here,” he announced. “But it’s wild, eluding my grasp. Whoever made this chose this spot deliberately. They knew the kind of disruption it would cause. It’s a statement. Or a challenge.”

Privately, he was frustrated with himself. He felt closer to his Power than he had in days, like he should be able to reach out and grab it. Yet the reservoir in his soul still felt empty.

“I think capping the hole would help things somewhat, but I can’t shake the feeling that it’d be like closing the gate after the cows have already run free. If we wait long enough, something else might crawl from its depths, but I suspect whatever punched through all that-” he pointed at the rocks around them “-is already gone. If it was a thing.”

Suddenly feeling very weary, he heavily sat back down. It was getting hard to hide his weakness from the soldier opposite him. 

[+Sorana she/her]

Sagitta nodded along to his words, although she had to admit, she had no idea what old magic was. She prefered matters to be more simple, like a battle line. Good guys standing next to her, bad guys across and you knew what you had to do. All this vague, magic stuff sent a cold shivver along her spine. How was she supposed to fight something she couldn't even see, couldn't even feel?

She watched Tion sit down, his weakness obvious even to her, but she decided to gloss over it, pretend everything was alright.

"There are two courses of action, we can take." she started, looking around the site again. "Either we try to trace and find whatever it was, that climbed out of the hole, try to gather intelligence about its species and its intent, or we try to close the hole."

She gave a slight shrug. "I agree, that the damage is done, the earthquake happened weeks ago - no matter what we'll do, we need to be lucky to find anything."

Pausing she turned to him, one hand still holding her sword. She could carry it on her back, but it was too long, she wouldn't be able to draw it, and it was too long to be carried on her side. That left her holding it, or slinging belt of the scabbard over her shoulder for a while.

"You said, that they chose this spot deliberately. Can you find others like this one. Others where nothing happened? If we know where they will be, we can set them a trap."

@Archer